Snow Vevex Ray

It's not very common that one spots a vevex ray. Most people are tucked away in their homes whenever these creatures are about, as fierce storms accompany their arrival. These peculiar creatures spend most of the year above the clouds, where they move much like mundane rays, soaring along currents. Once in a while an adventurous hatchling will be brave enough to descend and hover over the tops of trees. It's very rare for an adult vevex ray to venture down, and their presence heralds a massive storm. Whenever a commoner catches a glimpse a sight of a vevex ray, they pass the word along immediately to everyone they see. Soon entire villages are running about, hurriedly collecting children and putting herds away. These storms may vary, but they always last several hours, and everyone remains safely inside the castle. Travelers passing by are invited inside, and a huge fire is built in the dining hall. Sometimes the weather turns to heavy rain, sometimes snow or fog. Every once in a while the weather instead becomes intensely warm, and cooling spells are necessary. Soon enough, though, the vevex ray ascends back into the sky, and the weather returns to normal. No one knows how vevex rays ended up living so far up in the sky. A few legends say that there was once a year of severe storms, and they were so intense that they reached to the bottom of the seas, changing any rays that were touched.

Contents

Egg

This strange egg floats a few inches above the ground.

Hatchling

As soon as a vevex ray egg hatches, the little one inside begins flying, clumsily at first. The ray will only remain on the ground for a few days at the most, learning to fly and growing strong. One day, they just float up into the sky, disappearing above the clouds. Vevex ray hatchlings explore more than the adults, and will be seen more often by their magi. Depending on the weather, these little ones may come down for a few hours or few days. During massive storms, vevex ray hatchlings may even feel comfortable enough to hover close to the ground.

Adult

Though they are similar in shape to mundane rays, no one could mistake a vevex ray for an ordinary creature. These intriguing companions grow to be quite large, and have very striking markings. There are four different known varieties of vevex rays, and many believe there may be more. It is difficult to determine this, as these rays live far from the ground, where magi cannot explore easily. It is thought that adult rays guard specific areas of the sky, mapping out territories. This idea holds some weight, as there are places above the clouds that even dragons refuse to fly into. Fully grown vevex rays tend to travel in loose packs, while hatchlings are free to mingle as they please. After one year, these companions usually take mates and bear young. Their eggs weigh almost nothing, and are placed at the tops of the tallest trees. This position makes it easier for a newborn hatchling to fly away and find other rays. A vevex ray that was hatched inside the castle may remain on the ground for a few days, before growing strong enough to leave. Though a magi may become attached to their newest companion, it is inevitable that the ray leaves. If a vevex ray is caught and tethered down, it will become despondent and weak. Adult rays suffer more seriously than younglings, and anyone caught hunting these creatures is severely punished. Those rays that live at the castle are free to come and go as they please, of course. If a magi has need of their vevex ray, they usually climb to the tallest tree they can find, or fly on the back of a dragon.